India aims for a 200-ship navy to counter China and Pakistan

Every six weeks or so, an Indian shipyard sends a new warship into service. The pace is no accident

Analysts see this month’s commissioning of the stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri and submarine hunter INS Malvan this month as a symbol of that effort: both domestically built warships presented as evidence that New Delhi can scale up its fleet while reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.

atmanirbharta(self-reliance) across critical industries, defence being chief among them.

It is the sixth Nilgiri-class ship to enter service. A seventh, Vindhyagiri – the last of its class – is set to follow within months, with seven or eight “next generation” warships, code-named Project-17 Bravo, already queued up.

India’s navy currently numbers around 150 vessels, of which some 135 are thought to be classified as frontline combatants such as frigates, destroyers and submarines. Roughly 50 more are under construction.